1. Is there any tradition of the fire ever having been situated in the middle of the floor, and not as usual now, against one of the walls of the room? 2. Was the fire on the ground or at floor level, or was it raised above floor level in an iron gate, in the oldest houses in your district? 3. Was one side of the hearth traditionally or customarily reserved for the man of the house, the other for his wife? YES/NO. If so, which side was the man’s? 4. In older houses, pots were suspended over the open fire from either a crane hinged at one side of the fire or from a chain or long hook hanging from the middle of the chimney. Which method was usual in your area? 5. If a crane was used, at which side of the fire was it hinged, right or left looking at the fire? RIGHT/LEFT. 6. Were keeping holes (boles) usually kept about the hearth? YES/NO. By what name were they known? What things were usually kept in them? 7. Were fan bellows used? YES/NO. Were they built into the wall beside the fire, or were they movable? 8. Was the griddle, suspended over the open fire, used for baking? 9. Were bread-sticks, (also known as toasters or harnen-stands) used in the area for which you write? YES/NO. Were these ever made of stone? YES/NO. Indicate the pattern in the metal of the harnen-stand or toaster. 10. Was the pot oven in common use? (The pot oven was a round, flat-bottomed iron pot, 12”-15” across and 4”-6” deep, on three short legs, with a slightly domed lid. It was used for baking, roasting, stewing, etc)? 11. Were there any special dates (e.g. Hallow’een etc.) when the fire and its treatment were especially important? Give details. 12. Was it regarded as unlucky to let the fire go out, or to place stones in the hearth, and why? 13. Was it usual to carry crickets from an old hearth to a new one, and if so, why? 14. Do you know any local sayings connected with the hearth or with the fire itself? 15. We would be grateful if you would write or draw any details connected with the hearth and fire not specifically asked for in the questions above, and which you think are especially interesting.
